I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Pat Goff. This has been the traditional "first Birthday Cake" in our family, ever since. Cupcakes are mild and tasty, and a just right portion for children to play with.

Mix baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a small bowl.Sift the above ingredients with the flour. Set aside.Cream butter and sugar until light.Beat in eggs.Add vanilla.Fold applesauce into butter mixture, alternating the butter and flour mixture, beginning and ending with applesauce, until batter is smooth.Fill cupcake cups 3/4 full .Bake at 375 Degrees for 18 minutes. Cool.

Frost with Butter cream Frosting with 3 dashes of cinnamon added.

Optional Additional Topping: For older people, this is great with frosting topped with chopped nuts.

Ingredients:
6 peeled, cored, and sliced Jonathan apples ( you can use other pie apples but Jonathans are the best)
3/4 - 1 cup granulated sugar (I use the smaller amount when using pie slices that were canned in light syrup)
2 Tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 dash salt
1 dash nutmeg
1 squeeze of freshly squeezed lemon juice ( I do not use the bottled kind because it is bitter and changes the flavor of recipes)
2 pats butter (I slice a tablespoon of butter into small pieces)

Directions:

Make pie crust and place in pie plate. Put apples in a large bowl. Mix dry ingredients. Toss dry ingredients, lemon juice, butter, and apples together. Also, If you make a deep dish pie, I double to triple the pie filling recipe to fill the pie crust depending on the depth of the dish, usually it takes about 4 quarts of canned apples which I triple the other ingredients for. I like to fill the dish high, as the apples cook down. Pour into pie crust. Cover with second crust. Pinch edges together with a decorative slanted pinch, for a fluted look. . Cut slits in top crust. Place any crust cutout decorations on top of the pie, sealing to the crust with a few drops of water. Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar to which cinnamon has been added. Bake 50-60 minutes at 400 degrees. The shorter time is for canned apples. I place a foil edge around the crust and only remove it the last 10 minutes, so the pie will not over brown. The pie thickens as it cools.

Directions:
Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Add butter and cut through the flour mixture until it looks like meal. Add water one tablespoon at a time, sprinkling over dry mixture, and stirring until flour mixture cleans the side of the bowl. Put in a ziploc or airtight container and refrigerate for three hours. Divide in half and roll into two balls. Roll out pie crust on a floured pie cloth, flour sack cloth, or 2 sheets floured wax paper. When between two sheets of wax paper, make sure to flour under the dough and over the dough so it does not stick to the paper. Fold into quarters, flouring surfaces that will touch when folded. Unfold crust in the pie dish.

Apples are a humble food. I was once told that there is more nutrition in a chocolate bar than in an apple. This may be true, but I feel that apple has many more benefits. I was also told that we need fiber in our diet. When I was at BYU, I took a Botany class. We each had to do a project, on anything that had anything to do with plants, and we had to use current research journals; article published in peer reviewed journal during the previous two years. I chose to write my paper on fiber in the diet.

I learned that not all fiber is created of equal value. There are two main groupings-- insoluble and soluble, five types of fiber--Cellulose, Hemi-cellulose, Pectin, Lignins, Gums, and Mucilages. Insoluble cannot be dissolved in water. It moves food through the intestines faster and might reduce colon cancer. Within those two categories are several kinds of fiber. This led me to ask, which fiber to eat, and which is the best? They all have their benefits and jobs, I discovered that it is best to have variety.

In Iran, the men got three times the iron in their diet than they needed, but it was mostly from wheat. The phytates (an insoluble fiber) in the wheat, bound with the iron in the diet and passed it right out of the body. Though wheat may be a good source of fiber, it is probably not a reliable source of iron, and another source of iron should be included in the diet.

What about pectin? WOW! That humble apple has pectin, which is a great aide for people concerned about their cholesterol. The pectin actually encapsulates the bad cholesterol and pass it from the body. Since then, I learned more about apples and the healthful benefits that come from eating them.

Apple Trivia or more than you ever wanted or needed to know about apples:

* There are over 2000 varieties of apples.
* Apples are a member of the rose family.
* Folk lore associates the forbidden fruit with the apple, hence the apple is associated with knowledge. The term "Adam's apple" comes from the tradition that when Adam bit the apple a piece got stuck in his throat.
* The oldest apple seeds found were in the Caucasus Mountains, crab apples. Mount Ararat (or anciently Urartu) is where Noah's ark landed.
* There were apple orchards along the Nile Delta as early as 1300 BC.
* Isaac Newton confirmed gravity while sitting under an apple tree.
* There were only 4 varieties of apples on the Eastern seaboard of America when the Europeans arrived. Europeans brought apple seeds from the "Old World" when they came to America.
* One bushel of apples will yeild about 2 gallons of apple juice.
* John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed, was a self appointed Christian missionary and orchardist. He collected apple seeds from the cider presses and used them to plant orchards along the main wilderness trails from Pennsylvania, through Ohio, Indiana, ending at Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he died in March 1845. Along the way, he preached, shared, or spread his Swedenborgian Christian beliefs. He was born 26 September 1744 in Leominster, Massachusetts. He was contemporary to Joseph Smith.
* In 1892, my husband's great-grandfather Emmet Stull Goff, Horticultural professor at the University of Wisconsin, introduced apple orchards to Door County, Wisconsin.
* Brigham Young told the saints to plant orchards to eat and export.
* President Kimball asked the saints to grow apple trees and other fruits.
* My favorite apple for sauce, cakes, and pie, is the Jonathan.
* I cannot eat red delicious, I will double over with stomach pain. Nor worries, there are plenty of other apples that I can enjoy.
* Apples play a role in scripture, folk lore, and fairy tales. Who can forget Snow White and the poison apple?

Apple and Health:On the Up Side--
* It is best to eat apples and their skins, as much of the nutrition is just under the skin.
* Apples , as well as their juice, and sauce are high in flavonoids and othe compounds known for their antioxidant activity.* Cornell University has been doing apple research. There are a number of compounds in the apple skins that inhibit and can even kill cancer cells.
* Apples are low in calories, high in fiber (pectin), and a good source of potassium and vitamin C.
* In a study at Michigan State University, researchers found that those subjects who ate 2 or more apples a day had less headaches and respiratory illnesses and had better health in general than those subjects who ate none.* A study done at Rutgers University showed that apple pectins trap and prevent cholesterol from building up in the linings of blood vessels. This results in lowered blood pressure and reduced arteriosclerosis symptoms.

Down Side--
* Apples are the second most pesticide-ridden fruit, after peaches, according to rankings by The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington-based nonprofit. A single apple can contain as many as 12 different pesticides, even after washing. MSNBC June 21, 2007

I enjoy the process of preparing food, as a social art. I guess it goes back to memories of sitting on the front porch with grandma shelling peas, snapping beans, or shucking corn. Also, making pies with grandma, mom, my aunt, and cousins. There is something to the community process of getting a delicious repast, spread.

I enjoy the sociality as we prepare, enjoy, and clean up. The chatter, the discussion, the connection. The real life, supported by technology in its proper place. Where relationship reigns supreme.

There is a movement afoot, the Slow Food, rather than fast food movement. They call their groups convivia. This movement is only the tip of the iceberg to the movement to just slow down and simplify. I think the baby boomer generation is recalling the simpler life of their childhood and seeking the peace it can bring, to this plugged in, tuned out, high tech world. They are seeking the harmony of life, where technology serves us, rather than controls us. They seek relationship with the living, rather than with objects.

As you can see, I prefer to use "real" ingredients, preferring to minimize nutrient loss and minimizing chemical additives.

Butter instead of margarine. I do not buy margarine.

Yes, I use sugar in cookies and cakes, mostly. I rarely use corn syrup, mostly for candy, which is enjoyed sparingly. I do not buy Aspartame, Splenda, High Fructose Corn Syrup or other fake sugar. I do not buy Sugar-free drinks. Sometimes we get gifts of pop from others at Christmas. Sometimes we get root beer with pizza or make root beer floats, again, this is rare, as well. We have done the diet coke and Menthos experiment. No, I have never tried coke on toilet rings.

I prefer scratch to boxed. Really, scratch does not usually take very long. This tends to limit nutrient loss from processing and controls the number of chemical additives to food and limits the amount of high fructose corn syrup.

Though there appears a lot of cookies, cakes, desserts, and snack recipes, they are usually used for family home evening treats, when we have guests, or desserts for celebration. Truly not an everyday fare.

This is the basic recipe that my mother, Dorothy, and her mother, "Effie," used to make chocolate chip cookies. They were inclined to use half butter and half Crisco, and we use pure butter. Yes, these were the cookies that were in the tins that my grandma would serve us up from, and send home with us. My husband added the coconut and chopped nuts. This makes a chewy chocolate chip cookie. For a crunchier cookie just cook them longer.

Important Note: on butter, margarine, and shortenings...For health, taste, and product quality, I use pure butter. In this note I will focus on product quality. I will deal with nutrition in separate posts. I do not recommend margarine as many margarines have changed over the years and have more water and air whipped into them, and this changes the recipe, when cooked. If you have to use margarine or another brand of shortening, you will have to experiment, usually adding a 1/4 cup or more of flour. Even butter sometimes has problems if carregenan is added to thicken the butter instead of milk fat. Though carregenan is a natural thickener, it does not act the same in recipes.

When I was a young child, we would drive from Fort Wayne to Decatur, Indiana, to visit my mother's family. My grandmother, Mary "Effie" Flaugh always had a large tin filled with sugar cookies and another with chocolate chip cookies, waiting for us. We would keep them in the freezer. At night she would bring out the frozen cookies and we would each have a few cookies and milk. When it was time to leave, she would give us the tins of cookies to take with us. When we came back, we would return the tins, and we would be given another set of tins when we left. For years I looked for a sugar cookie like my grandmother made. When I was in college I got the recipe from grandma. This recipe makes light, cake like sugar cookies with a very delicate lemon flavor. I usually double the recipe.

Pour and then spread can of pineapple on bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with coconut. Spread 1 box of yellow cake mix over coconut. Slice butter into thin pats and cover every inch of the top of cake mix.Optional: Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or place whole walnuts or pecans spaced nicely on top. Cook at 350 for 30 min. Cut into squares and eat hot or cold.

Dehydrate vegetables or fruit. Store in air tight container in freezer. Put in a blender and turn to powder. Add water to consistency and season to taste. This saves money and you know what is in there.

Ingredients
1 cup Donna's Teriyaki Sauce Marinade
1 lb ground beefDirections
This is a messy process. You have to massage the marinade into the ground beef. Let rest 30 minutes. Then roll out the beef with a rolling pin into about 1/4 inch even thickness. Cut into 1 inch strips and dehydrate as usual. This keeps longer in the freezer.

Dehydrator MethodPlace strips in one layer on dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 155 degrees in a dehydrator.

Oven Method
Dehydrate on a broiler pan on the oven’s lowest setting (which is about 180 degrees), over night. Store in air tight container or bag, in the freezer until needed .

Pit but do not peel, rinsed apricots, then puree the apricots in a blender. Heat apricot puree until thoroughly warm; do not boil. Mix together the following ingredients in a separate bowl, with a wire whip, until well blended: apricot puree, applesauce, honey, and cinnamon.

Dehydrator Method:
When using a dehydrator, oil fruit leather sheets and pour leather mixture on sheets. Dehydrate until leather like. This can take longer than a day, if you are using a tall tower of trays. When the surface is dry, peel the leather off the sheet and then lay leather upside down on tray to dry back side. Cut with poultry scissors. Wrap pieces by placing on plastic wrap and rolling up. Store in a gallon zip lock bag.

Outdoors Method:
You can also set two saw horses 8 feet apart (be sure to place the feet of the saw horse in cans of water so ants do not crawl up the legs. Then place 2" x 4" x 8' board stretched across the saw horses. Cover the board with plastic wrap. Lightly oil. Pour apricot mixture down the center of the board. Loosely tent some cheese cloth or screening over the drying leather to keep flying insects off. Wings and feet are unappetizing to some! Periodically check to see when dry to leather state. Roll into one large roll.

Dehydrating is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. During times of drought and famine, the food would dehydrate on the vine or stem. Hungry people would glean anything they could find that was edible, even dried and withered food. They would use a pot to cook soups and stews, often keeping the pot going for days. They found that the bottom of the pot would have very concentrated flavor. They would scrape this up, dry it, and carry this dry bullion in a leather pouch with dry vegetables. They would carry this with them on the road. This would be the foundation of a nutritious soup while traveling or hunting. All that was needed was the addition of hot water.

I often double or triple this recipe and cool the extras on cookie cooling racks, then place them on cookie sheets and freeze them. When frozen they can be placed in a freezer bag and reheated in the oven, microwave, or toaster later. So I have included the measurements for the increased batches.

Directions:Cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until tender. Saute onion in butter, until translucent. Combine onions and potatoes. Add milk to desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:Boil all ingredients until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and de-bone; return to soup. Add noodles, rice, or barley. Cook until tender. Season with cinnamon. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers.

Saute` onions in butter until lightly brown (10-20 minutes). Add broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and boil 10 minutes. Put into oven proof bowls. Top with bread and cheese. Place bowls on a baking sheet. Place in a hot oven for a few minutes to melt cheese. Serve hot.

Directions:Boil vegetables in water and bullion, until tender. Make white sauce by melting butter and stirring in flour, then adding milk and stirring and cooking until mixture thickens. For thicker soup take a cup of the vegetables and mash them, then add them to the white sauce. Add cheese to white sauce, then add sauce to vegetables. Season to taste.

Brown cubed beef, barley, onions, and celery until vegetables are tender. Add all other ingredients and cook until done. Barley takes about 45 minutes to become tender. I add salt, pepper, onion salt, and basil about 5 minutes before serving.

Directions:Work Salad Supreme Dip Mix into a small brick of softened cream cheese and form into a cheese ball or into a dip dish. Serve with crackers or crudités. For fancy party food, soften, place in a cake decorator bag with a large star tip or a large dot tip. Apply rosettes or large dots to crackers or slices of baked potato with the skin edge still on them. Top with chopped red pepper and green onion. Optional: add one salad shrimp to the top of each.

Directions:Mix all ingredients in a small mixing bowl, until thoroughly mixed and evenly distributed. Store in an air tight container and refrigerate. If refrigerated, will keep 6 months or longer. If stored in a cool dry place, use within 3-4 months.

Great sprinkled on salads, baked potatoes, white rice, on butter topped rolls, and as a garnish on potato salad.

I had never eaten potato salad before I was 22 years old. I was visiting my brother and his wife. We had a picnic and my sister-in-law served potato salad. I asked for the recipe and she said it was in the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. When I pulled out my cookbook, the next time I wanted potato salad, it called for "Clear French." I had no idea what that was. So, I substituted Catalina and it made a nice pink potato salad with a really good flavor blend. It was a hit. I usually double the recipe. This is a great recipe to use with Easter eggs at Easter time. When I saw her later, she said clear French was Italian. Well, I had made it with Catalina and it was a family favorite, so I am changing nothing.

Rinse potatoes. Boil potatoes in their skins, until a knife can poke it. The potato will be firm, not too soft. While potatoes are boiling , boil eggs. When potatoes are done, peel under cold water. Cut into cubes. Poor Catalina over potatoes, cover with a lid, foil, or wrap. Chill 2 hours. Add eggs, mayonnaise, onion, celery, salt, and celery seed. Mix well. Chill for 4 hours. This is even better the second day.

To Boil Eggs:

During the winter I have to let eggs sit on the counter for and hour before cooking, or they do not seem to cook fully otherwise. Cover eggs with cold water, about 1 inch over the top of the eggs. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Cover with lid and remove from heat. Let sit for 23 minutes. Remove eggs immediately, and place in cold water, to stop the cooking. If eggs over cook, the surface of the yolk turns green. Harmless, but not appealing to look at. Peel under cold running water. Cut in an egg slicer one way, then rotate the egg and cross cut. I have been known to cut horizontal, vertical , then roll egg over and cross cut again, but this can be tricky.

2 cups water1 cup rice (we use Jasmin Rice)1 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon butterBring two cups water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon butter (the rice will be lightly coated with butter as they drop into the boiling liquid, this will both flavor and keep rice separate), one teaspoon salt. Add one cup rice, cover and reduce heat just below medium. Cook 20 minutes with lid on.

Note:Cold left over rice can be used with veggies, teriyaki sauce, and left over meat for a one dish meal.

Ingredients: 4 cups boiling water1 double Knorr chicken bullion cube (you can substitute other bullions, but it won’t taste the same)2 tablespoons butter (I use butter, never margarine– the taste will be different if you use margarine)2 teaspoons salt

2 cups Par Excellence– Garden Harvest Long Grain and Rice Pilaf (must order from the company Par Excellence, comes in case of 6).

Directions:Bring water to boil with bullion, butter, and salt. Add rice mix and stir into water. Cover with lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Optional:

I have tossed leftover frozen vegetables into this rice with great results. Peas are especially good!

1 boneless Farmland Smoked & Fully Cooked Ham (you can do this with canned hams, bone in hams, etc, as long as they are smoked and fully cooked- for the time and temperature used here)1 fresh orange (For a sweeter juicier glaze, substitute 1 can crushed pineapple)whole cloves½ cup brown sugar

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325°. Remove ham from wrapper, remove paper wrapper off ham. Place in a baking dish. Score ham with a sharp knife, making diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep, then cut diagonally the other way, making diamond cuts. At each point where cuts cross, press a whole clove into the ham. Evenly spread brown sugar over the top of the ham, pressing it into the scored ham surface. Thinly slice the orange. Place orange slices, peel and all, on the top and sides of ham;,using toothpicks to secure the slices, so they will not slide off the ham. Leave about ½ inch of toothpick sticking out so that you can safely remove them before serving. Bake 15 minutes per pound. Though the ham is already cooked, baking it will improve its texture and flavor. Remove cloves, toothpicks and orange slices before serving. Spoon drippings over top of ham before cutting.

Combine the above ingredients and mix well. To keep in the refrigerator for later use– heat to just below boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar and prevent burning, cool and then pour into a bottle.

Marinating Directions:

Marinate chicken, beef, pork, turkey, or seafood for 30 minutes or longer (overnight is best). Meat may be frozen with marinade, and will marinate the meat, as it thaws in the fridge. Cook meat as usual. Grill, bake, braise (in a lid covered pan), broil, or cook in a frying pan.

Directions:Place cut up rinsed chicken in a lidded baking dish. If you do not have a lidded baking dish you can line a dish with foil then when chicken is prepared for oven, top with foil and seal edges. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Pour honey in a liquid measuring cup. Squeeze the juice of a lemon, lime, or orange into the honey; stirring until thin and runny. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle top of chicken with Rosemary. Place in a covered baking dish, a soaked clay baking dish with a lid or seal in foil. Bake at 350 for 1 ½ hours.

Directions:Place rinsed and patted dry chicken in baking dish. Place a butter pat on each piece. Butter makes this dish extra savory, but this dish can be baked without adding butter. Sprinkle seasoning salt over chicken. Sprinkle lemon pepper over chicken. Sprinkle basil over chicken. Bake in a 350°F oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Directions
Place chicken in a foil lined baking dish, a covered baking dish, or a covered clay pot. Pour soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic over chicken. Place a bay leaf and a pepper corn on each piece of chicken. Seal in foil, or bake in a covered dish at 350° for 2 hours. Remove foil or lid, the last 15 minutes, to brown chicken.

Ingredients:6 medium potatoes2 tablespoons Ranch Dressing and Dip mix (dry powder, not mixed up into a dressing yet)1 stick of butterMilk as needed for creamier potatoes

Directions:Start with 6 medium potatoes. Peel them. Wash potatoes and remove eyes and blemishes. Quarter the potatoes and then cut lengths into 1-2 inch lengths. Place in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to simmer. Simmer until tender; about 20 minutes. Potatoes should pierce easily with a fork. Drain the water. Mash potatoes. Mix in one dry package of ranch dressing mix. For creamier potatoes, add milk or sour cream while beating. Add 1 stick of butter and whip the potatoes. Serve hot.

1. In a small saucepan, heat milk and two tablespoons butter until warm (120°-130° F) and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. In a large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar and salt. Add the milk mixture; beat with an electric mixer until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together unbleached flour and bread flour. Add half of the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Beat mixture on low speed for 5 minutes, scrapping the sides of the bowl, constantly.

3. Add remaining flour; mix thoroughly (dough will be very soft). Turn into lightky greased bowl; grease surface of dough lightly. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double; about 1 hour.

4. Punch the dough down. Turn on to a floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough, sprinkle with enough additional flour to make the dough easy to handle.On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12x10 inch triangle.

5. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush surface of the dough, with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Beginning with the longest side of the dough, roll up jelly roll style; seal seam. With a sharp knife (or long piece of thread– it works better than a knife), cut roll into 12 one inch pieces. Place rolls, cut side up in a greased 9x9x2 baking pan. Cover; let rise till nearly double; 30-45 minutes.

Directions:In a small saucepan heat one 1/4 cup butter till melted. Stir in ½ cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons milk. Cook mixture over medium-low heat for one minute. Transfer to a small mixer bowl and cool. Add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, a dash of salt, and ½-3/4 cup powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended.

Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Using a large mixing bowl and an electric mixer, cream the butter. The add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the Brownie mix and keep beating until smooth. Spread mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 30- 40 minutes.

Blend corn syrup, sugar and 1 cup of cream in a heavy pan, and cook to the chewy ball stage (test in a bowl of ice water).Add second cup of cream and repeat cooking to the chewy ball stage.Add third cup of cream and repeat cooking to the chewy ball stage.The candy becomes a lovely caramel color as it cooks.

Place pecans (or any other nut) in the bottom of the buttered pan. Pour Caramel over the nuts. Cut, then lay squares on waxed paper and pour melted semi sweet chocolate chips or melted milk chocolate (I prefer Merkins Marquee Chocolate) over each individual square. Pack in an airtight container once the chocolate hardens.

I love this recipe because it is so versatile. They can be simple or elegant. You can even make your own variety tins like the danish cookies sold in tins that are abundant at Christmas time. When dough is fluffy and light it makes drop cookies that stay light for days!

Sift the following ingredients together. Beat into the rest of the ingredients.4 1/2 cups all purpose flour1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla, mix well. Sift flour and salt together. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture until well mixed. Place 1 ” apart on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes, do not brown cookies. Remove cookies from sheet while still warm. Cool on wax paper or cooling rack.

This recipe can make a variety of cookies. We rolled them out on a floured counter, and cut them into heart shapes. They can be frosted with butter cream frosting, with cinnamon hearts, silver balls, or a tubed frosting. I have sometimes added cinnamon to the frosting.

Cookie Options:

Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to dough.

Replace Vanilla with 2 Teaspoons Pure Lemon..

Put into a pastry bag with food dye in stripes, down the inside of the bag, so they come out through a large star cake decorating tip. Then they can be piped into fancy shapes. You can also use the star tip to drop a large star blob, and once this is cooked, fill the center with red jelly, jam, or preserves.

The dough can be divided in half and one side dyed another color, or not. Then they can be rolled in long ropes and twisted together and then twisted into candy canes or pretzels. The sprinkled the canes with crushed peppermint candy.

Make a long roll of the dough and place in wax paper, then chill. Slice into 1/2 inch thick slices and place on un-greased cookie sheet. You can also roll the chilled roll in mini chocolate chips, colored sprinkles, peppermint candy, etc.

For cookie cutter shapes- chill dough for a few hours and roll our about 1/2 in thickness. These shapes can be decorated as usual, be made into sandwich cookies with pastel icing (you can even add flavoring to the icing) the the edges of the icing can be sprinkled with a topping. These can also be made into ice cream sandwiches.

Make drop cookies.

Sometimes we cut the cookies a little thicker and they are much like shortbread cookies. You can roll out the dough and cut with a knife into squares. Then when they come out of the oven sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

You can also add chopped almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, or walnuts to the dough or on top of the cookies.

Make Individual Fresh Fruit Pizzas- Roll out Cookie dough and cut
into large circles or squares. Mix 8oz Cream Cheese into 2 boxes Instant
Vanilla Pudding using directions for Pie filling, top with Fresh Fruit!

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine sugar, butter, molasses, milk, and egg: mix well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off, place in a medium bowl. Take soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt and stir together in a small bowl. Stir spices into flour, and flour mixture into butter mixture. Blend well. Divide dough into thirds. Roll out 1/3 of the dough at a time, on a floured surface to 1/8 th inch thickness. Cut into shapes and place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 1 inch apart. Cook 7-10 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool completely. Frost with buttercream frosting. Decorate.

Directions:Combine chicken, onion, celery, bullion, garlic, and water to cover the other ingredients about two inches above. Boil until chicken is tender. Remove chicken, de-bone, cut into cubes, and add chicken back into broth. Add optional step here if desired.

(Optional- Pour soup liquid through a strainer. Reserve cooked vegetables to freeze and add to a Broccoli Cheese Soup, or a Potato Soup, at a later time. Add 1 cup of diced celery and diced carrots.)

Add 2 more quarts of water and the bullion, bring to a boil. Add noodles. Boil until noodles are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add 2-4 pinches of cinnamon. Serve with saltine crackers.